"The career of Malcolm Cromarty, D.V.M., was finally settling into a routine, despite his recent divorce and being new to the valley. After all, life among cows, stoic dairy farmers, a steadfast dog, and an occasional ‘wee dram’ of single malt tends to be rather mundane. However, the daily grind veers off course with a rabies outbreak that doesn’t stay on message with the textbooks. To cope with this challenge, Malcolm must rely on a patchwork of local inhabitants to guide him through the peculiar culture in which he lives. However, with each passing day, he stumbles deeper into a community that holds science, change, and outsiders under suspicion, and a family feud with a dark and malevolent past. Hardly a promising path to control the outbreak." --back cover.